VIDEO: Bird saves his best for the end
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
MADISON – Josh Bird put two fingers in the sky, representing his second state championship in three years. One year after exiting the Kohl Center gym with his head down in defeat, Bird beamed at the legion of cameras snapping his smile.
Max Fisher ran to coach Nick Weinkauf and hopped into his arms for a bear hug that resulted in tears of joy. Fisher followed it with a higher jump into the stands. Two rows up sat his parents and older brother, who Fisher attacked with a long group hug.
Saturday night’s WIAA state individual wrestling meet certainly wasn’t lacking pulse-pounding emotion or moments that will be talked about for years.
Bird (46-1), a Burlington junior, overcame a 6-0 deficit for a 12-10 victory over Kaukauna’s Tres Leon at 132 pounds, and Fisher, a Waterford senior, began a mad scramble with 15 seconds left to break a 1-1 tie and complete the 3-1 win with a takedown of defending 145 state champion Joe Ziolkowski of D.C. Everest.
His singlet down to his waist after the match, Fisher could finally relax. He suffered a dislocated elbow in late December, an injury where Weinkauf said he had “never heard a kid scream that loud.” Two long months later, Fisher, undefeated record still intact, returned at conference. The aggressive buzzsaw zipped through conference, regionals and sectionals before tonight’s pinnacle.
Fisher, who finished the season a perfect 29-0, couldn’t think of anyone else he wanted to celebrate with first than Weinkauf.
“He’s more than a coach to me, he’s one of my best friends,” said Fisher about Weinkauf. “He’s done everything for me. He’s offered to take me to tournaments in the offseason. He’s always on the sidelines for football. He’s always finding ways to motivate me and make me a better person out there on the mat.”
“I went over to my mom and dad and older brother. They’ve been nothing but great to me. We’re a big sports family, and they just love it. I got a text earlier from my dad that said, ‘Why not you? You’ve worked harder than anyone else. You’ve done two to three practices a day when you were hurt. Why can’t you be on top?'”
Bird walked off the mat like he had unfinished business. His original goal of four state titles gone, two of three was the next-best thing. In the hallway minutes after the match, Bird already referenced winning not only another title next year but four national titles at the next level.
A tireless worker who out-trains opponents, Bird believes he quite simply belongs in the winner’s circle.
“It’s probably one of the best feelings in the world knowing that no one in the state can touch you, and you’re the best out there,” Bird said. “I knew I had to go point by point and get as many as I could. I knew if I wrestled my style and didn’t let him control the match, I’d eventually win.
Fisher was with his wrestling partner, Waterford freshman Jared Krattiger, at 4 p.m. today at the hotel when he received the inspirational text. Fisher said Krattiger was helping to mentally prepare him for the night.
“After the text, I just turned it on from there,” Fisher added. “I also got a call from my Higher Level (club) coach. He wished me luck and said he was proud of me no matter the outcome.”
Fisher tested fellow unbeaten Ziolkowski in the first period, trying different angles to find any weaknesses. A 0-0 statelmate ensued until the end of period two, when Fisher burst quickly away for an escape to take a 1-0 lead.
After Ziolkowski escaped to tie things at 1-1, only 20 seconds remained in the match. Fisher knew it was scramble time, so he took a half-shot to get a tie-up. When Ziolkowski tried to counter, Fisher persisted and caught him for a two-point takedown with around five seconds on the clock.
“I knew I had to latch on for dear life,” Fisher said. “I knew he’d be scrambling.”
Weinkauf considers Fisher a best friend as well. They’ve been there for each other ever since freshman year, when tragedy struck the Waterford wrestling community.
“I had a daughter pass away three years ago when Max was a freshman,” Weinkauf said. “Max walked in the funeral in a suit and tie, and he was always there for me. Later, we had a candlelight memorial for her at the high school, and I didn’t tell anybody about it. It was dark out. And there comes Max Fisher walking through. It’s those little things that make who he is.”
“He’s a great wrestler. He’s got a lot of support, and he’s going to go far because he’s got a great heart. No matter what he puts his mind to, he gets after it and he believes in himself.”
Weinkauf said the match was won when Fisher got back on his feet after Ziolkowski stalled for 1:47.
“If Max didn’t get out, a lot of bad things could’ve happened,” Weinkauf said. “We knew that kid could ride, or he can keep you on the mat. He’s tough on top. I thought that’s where we won the match.”
“When Max started to scramble, I knew we were alright because Max can scramble.”
Fisher is Waterford’s first state champion since Cody Nanneman in 2013 and only second in Division 1.
Bird’s destiny fulfilled
Josh Bird throws up two fingers in victory Saturday night, which represents his second state title. (Mike Ramczyk/Standard Press)
On Tuesday, Bird didn’t hesitate to predict he would win the state title Saturday night.
He mentioned that he had prepared himself better than ever before, and he was ready to redeem his 2014 title-match loss.
Burlington coach Jade Gribble said he was impressed that Bird dug himself out his early hole. At one point, he looked like he could’ve been pinned after getting caught in a cradle.
“Josh came back and wrestled a fantastic match and took over,” Gribble said. “It takes a lot of heart to come back from a 6-0 deficit to beat a very good wrestler.”
The match was tied at 9-9 in the third, and Bird chose down and escaped to take a 10-9 lead. Then, Bird planted Ziolkowski to increase the lead to 12-9 before an escape cut it to 12-10.
“Josh stuck to his game plan,” Gribble added. “He hit a throw to cut it to 6-5, and that really got him back into it and got him some confidence. It was a crazy match.”
The back-and-forth battle favored Bird, whose strength is scoring points. The state’s No. 1-ranked wrestler at 132 said he doesn’t believe in stalling and hates slow matches.
“It’s not the wrestler with talent, it’s the wrestler with talent that trains hard,” Bird added. “Leon was one of the strongest kids I’ve ever wrestled, but it’s about who wants it most.”
“I want to go against the best wrestlers in the state. I still have more to do. I want to make a name for myself. I lost one, and that’s motivation to not skip a day of work. One thing I think about before I go out there is how much I hate the feeling of losing and how I never want to feel it again.”
Demons rewrite school history
For the first time in Burlington’s wrestling program, one that has spanned five decades, two Demons wrestled in the Division 1 state finals, Bird and Ben Hornickle at 138.
Hornickle fell behind, 5-2, to defending 132 state champ Robert Lee of Kaukauna before a couple stalling points resulted in a 5-4 defeat. Hornickle finished the season 51-2.
Moments after the heart-breaking defeat, the realization that this was Hornickle’s last high school match sunk in. He walked slowly off the mat and into the tunnel and couldn’t hold back his emotion. Gribble put his arm around Hornickle to console him.
Lee was up 3-0, but Hornickle hit a nice headlock and slammed Lee to the mat with a loud thud. A two-point takedown cut the lead to 3-2, but a near fall, which Gribble thought was warranted, would’ve given Hornickle a 5-3 lead and changed the match.
“To be honest, I think the refs blew a call there,” Gribble said. “It should’ve been a near fall. They were out of position and had to run all the way around to the front, and then they started counting. You only need a two-count for two points, and that would’ve changed the match right there. Ben had him for awhile.”
The referee explained that Lee’s body wasn’t past 45 degrees, so points weren’t given.
Hornickle went after Lee in the final period and received a couple stalling points, but his scramble attempts were thwarted.
“It was a great match by Ben,” Gribble said. “I’m very proud of him and Josh. Ben wrestled very hard. Ben and Josh are both elite wrestlers.”
Lee is a three-time state champion and four-time finalist.
Pick up Wednesday’s Burlington Standard Press and Waterford Post for more, including state wrestling photos. Also, follow Mike Ramczyk on Twitter @mikeramczyk17 and LIKE Standard Press Sports on Facebook for a photo gallery from Saturday night’s action.
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